High speed ferries built in aluminium or composite materials are setting new standards in speed and comfort for water craft. The design of fast ferries requires minimisation of weight wherever possible without compromising structural strength and integrity. Because aluminium is a light-weight metal it is used extensively in the construction of the hulls and decks of fast ferries. However aluminium loses considerable strength above 250° C. and therefore it is essential to minimise the exposure of aluminium structures to high temperatures. For this reason many of the internal exposed surfaces of the hull and decks of the ship are covered with layers of fire protecting insulation.
Existing insulating materials used to line the car decks, cargo decks and engine rooms of aluminium fast ferries are typically glass wool, mineral wool or ceramic fibre blankets faced and supported by galvanised or stainless steel sheets and frames. There are a number of problems with existing insulation systems. Firstly, they are relatively heavy (the lightest are approximately 5 kg/m2, for ceramic fibre systems) and therefore reduce the speed and overall payload of the vessel and/or increase fuel consumption. They are more susceptible to damage due to lack of stiffness and they require a large amount of support structure due to small panel size (typically 1 m2) which makes them expensive to install and further adds weight to the vessel. Finally there ar health and safety question marks over the use of certain types of fibre blankets.